Electrical signaling device.



E. A. FITZGERALD.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVIGE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 9, 1909.

1,014,588. I Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Mr/7:56:51 v j Arum r0 AT/OiP/Vif) Patented Jan. 9, 1912.

E. A. FITZGERALD.

ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVICE.

APPLIGATION FILED DEG.9,1909. 1,01%,588.

MHWMHWHWEH W H 55 b 2). WE; Z .L ,L F. H UH U H UH U 6 wn UUU ibim mH UH U i m HFII U H UH Hr 2 Kw UT v l ELECTRICAL SIGNALING DEVICE.

innings.

T 0 (ZZZ whom it may concern;

Belt known that LEDWARD A. FITZGERALD,

a citizen of the United States, and residing at.

Highwood, in the county of Lake, State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful. Improvement in "Electrical Signaling Devices, of which the following is a complete specification. p

The main objects of this lIlVGBtlOll are to provide an electrical signal adapted to be 7 for many other purposes; and to providean electrical signalingdevice adapted to be used upon either double or single track systems.

A specific construction embodying thein- Vent-ion is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the switch, and

{showing the trackbroken! Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the trackZwith the switch in side elevation. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, sectional view of the track with the release inside elevation. Fig. 4

is a plan view of the release and showing the track broken. Fig. 5 is an enlarged etail of themagnets. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic plan view of the wiring for the signal. v

In the construction shown the device is shown as a railway crossing signal for a double traclr railway system. On either side of the crossing 1, a few of theties' 2 are cut away beneath one rail 3 of each-track, to provide a space 4: beneath the rails, as shown more clearly in Figs.- 2 and 3, to permit the rail to be bent downwardly by the weight of a passing train. On the side of the crossing from. which the train approaches is the.

switch mechanism 5, and on the side from.

which the train leaves is the release mechanism 6. v

The switch is constructed in the following manner; A bar 7 of spring steel is bent toa U shaped form, having a long upper arina8 and a short lower arm 9. The ar"m, 9" is' rigidly bolted to the tie 2, at a distance, from the rail, and the upper arm 8. projects; beneath the rail head into position .tObBT'dE -f nnwnnn A. FITZGERALD,

Specification of Letters Patent.

UNITED AE iBem or nienwcon, rumor-s1,

carried in a case 12 and are niountedon a base 13 of slate or other preferred insulating material carried on thetie 2: The magnetic circuits are independent of each other, and

themagnets are so-wired that their two ci'r cuits are parallel and are connected in the core 14 of the magnet 10.

magnets and therail are the metal posts 15 on which is fulcrunied the flexible-lever of copper. One; end of the lever'projecits Patented Jam l 9,1912, Application filed December 9, 1909. Serial No. 5,352,215.

- 465 Rigidly secured on the tiebetween the over the magnets and is provided with an-17c iron armature 17 adapted to be attract'edlby' and to engage the end'of the--core' 14 when Carried on the magnet 10 in electrical connection with the core 1st is a carbon contact piece .ISyaird said end of the lever down.

carried on the end of the lever-16, above end of the lever 16 is an adjustable countera weight 21 adapted to normallyyhold ,the"-a'rmaturel? and contact 19 out of engagement with the core 14 "and the contact 18, respec-- tively'. on theunder sideof the arini8'of the bar ,1

to force the leveiwdownwardly to bring the contacts into engagement" when the; end 8a'i s depressed by tll5 --:D1OV8I11*311t"0f. the ra l.

Ground wires 23 connect the posts 15% with. from the rail and act to connect the current ,the-lever 16 with. the earth.

The release is constructed as iollows A spring bar 24, similar to the bar 7 issef-.

cured to a tie 2 on the opposite-side o-fjt he crossing from the switch, and has its iippe'r;

arm projecting beneath the insulator'25 'is secured on the benea h uppe'rarni .of thebarfikt, ands-copy 4 tact 26;isjcarried ontsaid insul-ator at p jects'beyond the insulator toward "r On theprojectingjend ofi'the contact a! is "posh-31;] s carried ,onthe contact 29, uni

is a block 22 of'iron' adapted'toliinit thenpward movement of the'lever and,

a plurality. offing'ersiQ-T of phosphor bronze, adapted to contact with platinum points- 28 pressedby therail. when a trainwis passingll binding' post 32 is carried ontlie insniamr 25. A wire 33 connects the binding posts 31 and 32 and is supported on insulators 31, which are carried on the bar 24:. A trolley ta 35 leads from the trolley and is provided with a fuse box 36, and connects with an electric bell 37. Leading from the bell arc wires 38 and 39 which provide parallel circuits leading to the tracks. In each wire are a plurality of lamps 10 or other resistance adapted to reduce the current to the proper amperage, and to provide a visible signal if desired. The wires 38 and 39 connect respectively with track wires 11 and 42, one leading to one track and one to the other. The wire 11 is connected at one end to a binding post 43 on the insulator base 13 of the switch, in which binding post the wiring for the magnet 11 is connected. The other end of the wire 41 is connected to the binding post 32 on the release. The wire 42 connects with its switch and release in the same manner. Wires 41 and 15, one for each circuit, are each connected at one end to a binding post 46 on the base 13, to which binding post the wiring for the magnet 10 is connected. The other end of the wire 44 Wardly, and the block 22 forces the magnet end of the lever 16 downwardly thereby bringing the contact 19 into engagement with the contact 18 and establishing electrical connection from the track wire to the rail through the lever 16, posts 15 and wires 23 and causes the bell to ring. T he current energizes the magnet 10 which acts on the armature 17 and holds the lever end down until the current is broken by the release 6. As the train passes the crossing the rail adjacent to therelease is depressed, and the bar 24 is forced downwardly, thereby carrying the contact 29 out of engagement with the contact 26, and breaking the circuit. \Vhen the current is broken by the release the weight 21 on the lever 10 forces the contact '19 out of engagement with the contact 18 and holds it in such position until the rail 3 at the switch is again depressed.

When the circuit is made by the action of the switch the current passes through the tap 35, bell-and lamps, to the track wire, then dividing on the track wire, one portion goes to the binding post 43 and through magnet 11 and core 14 to contact 18. The other portion of the current goes to the binding post 32 on the release, through wire 33, contacts 29 and 26, binding post 47, wire 4 1 to binding post 16 on the switch, then through magnet 10 to contact 18. From contact 18 the united current passes through lever 16, posts 15 and wires 23 to rail 3. The magnet 11 equalizes the current passing through its wires with that passing through the wires of the switch magnet 10, and by all'ording a path of lower resistance than the air gap caused when the release is operated, preventsarcing at the release.

Obviously the device may be employed for signals on a single track system by making slight changes in the wiring, and it is also adaptable for many other purposes than for crossing signals.

While I have shown but one specific embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that various details of the construction shown may be varied ,or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention.

I claim.

1. An electrical signaling device, comprising avertically movable track rail, a re-' silient bar rigidly supported at one end and having its other end projecting beneath the head of the rail, an operating magnetbeneath said bar, an equalizing magnet beneath said bar and adapted to prevent arcing when the circuit is broken, said magnets being connectedparallel in a circuit, a contact on the operating magnet a lever pivotally sup )orted beneath the bar, a contact on the lever adapted to engage the contact on the operating magnet, a counterweight on the lever adapted to normally keep the. contacts separated, an armature on the lever adapted to be attracted by the operating magnet and hold the contacts in engagement and means on the bar adapted when the bar is-depressed to force the lever downwardly.

2. An electrical signaling device, com;- prising a normally open circuit including a movable rail, means adapted to break the circuit at a second point, an operating magnet connectcd in the circuit, an equalizin magnet connected in the circuit paralle with the operating magnet and adapted to prevent arcing when the circuit is broken,

a resilient bar having one end rigidly supported and the other end projecting beneath the head of the movable rail, a pivotally supported lever having one end projecting above the operating magnet, an armature on the lever adapted to be attracted by said magnet, means on the bar adapted to move the armature into engagement with the operating magnet when the rail is depressed and close the circuit at the normally open point, and conductors connecting said lever with the rail.'

3. An electrical signaling device, comprising a magnet having a contact thereon, a pivotally supported lever having a contact adapted to cooperate with the contact on the magnet, an armature on the lever adapting the magnet to hold the lever in positioh for the contacts to engage each other, and

"a resilient bar rigidly supported at one end magnet, a Contact on the lever adapted to ooact with the'contact on the magnet, an adjustable Weight on the lever adapted to normally hold the lever contact away from the magnet contact, and a spring bar'rigidly supported at one end adjacent to the magnet and adapted to operate the lever With the other end. v

5. An electrical signaling device, comprie ing a movable track rail, a magnet having a contact thereon, a pivotally supported lever, means on the lever adapted to normally hold it out of operative position, a contact on the lever adapted to engage the contact on the magnet, and a springbar rigidly supported at one end, and having its other end positioned to he operated. by the depresslon of the rall and to engage the lever and throw the lever Contact into engagement with the magnet contact. v

In witness whereof I have hereunto subnesses.

EDWARD A. FITZGERALD Witnesses l WILLIAM G. FITZGERALD, y W. W. WITHENBURY.

scribed my name in the-presence of two Wit- 3o 

